The permission piece is the buried lead of this entire post.
Most high-credential people aren’t afraid of failure. They’re afraid of acting without institutional authorization. School gave them a rubric. Corporate gave them a job description. The internet gives them a blank page and a “go.”
That’s not a motivation problem. That’s a wiring problem.
Thirty-five years watching leaders in institutions taught me this: the ones who stall online aren’t lazy. They’re waiting for the system to validate them first. And while they wait, they stay in motion internally. Planning. Calculating. Refining. The internet doesn’t see any of it. It only rewards what gets published.
The deeper problem is that most credential-heavy leaders have confused knowing with helping. They believe the internet should pay them for their expertise. It won’t. It pays them for solving someone’s specific problem. That shift from “I have valuable knowledge” to “I fix your exact pain” is the identity reframe that most smart people never make.
Sign your own permission slip. Publish before you’re ready. Then ask one question every single day: who did I actually help today?
Absolutely nailed it 🙌🏼 I’m languishing in comfortable discomfort in an excellent corporate job because heck, that’s what I’m used to. I’m praying spending more time here with y’all will help me bust out!
thank you for commenting, this is actually valuable. Distilled wisdom that has substance. I knew I could count on someone in the comments, keep scholaring good scholar
Justin Welsh said a version of this: You must be willing to look stupid while building online. If you can overcome that discomfort, you're likely to grow. This is where being smart backfires: You think you're smart and don't tolerate discomfort.
I’m pretty sure I’m one of those smart people that gets in their own way. The problem for me is that the world doesn’t make sense. I periodically try to forget that but it gets in the way. We should be creating value, but so much work is about extraction, like the famous Fight Club quote about people working jobs they hate to buy shit they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. I know that’s a cynical view, and I know that’s not the whole story, but there is a LOT of that, and I don’t want to play any part in it.
I love that you said you ask the question of ‘who have I helped today’, and for the answer to have made you money. The value they get should be equal to or greater than the money they spent on you.
This is the question I’m getting stuck on - what can I do that creates value for others. So much exists already, and so much exists for free.
I don’t think I lack courage, I have quit more than one job because I’ve felt morally uncomfortable and taken the leap without knowing what’s next. If anything I have courage with no confidence in myself.
You can probably see the over thinking in action here 😂
I really relate to this, especially “courage with no confidence.” That says so much.
I also don’t think creating value means inventing something completely new. Sometimes the value is in helping someone understand something better, apply it to their own life, or feel less alone in it.
The fact that so much already exists does not mean your way of seeing it has no place.
Thank you for your perspective Sara, it’s something I have thought about and understand intellectually but find it hard to apply that to a livelihood in a way that feels honest.
I am a Jack of all trades, I am not the kind of person to master something. I don’t know how to turn that in to something I can build a good livelihood off, something I can offer as value to others in a neat package. In the past year I have been paid as a shepherdess, a copywriter, a waitress and a guide. Perhaps I am a commitment-phobe.
All the most interesting people I’ve ever met, when I ask them about how they got in to their line of work always say something like ‘I met someone on a bus in Mexico’ or ‘my dog ran away and the person who found him was setting up a business and we got talking’. Two genuine stories from people I spoke to while working in a coffee box.
I am torn between being purposeful (the more I try to be, the less life flows) and following my nose until something works out (which is risky and leads many to a life of poverty).
Oh my god I could have written this “I am a Jack of all trades, I am not the kind of person to master something. I don’t know how to turn that in to something I can build a good livelihood off, something I can offer as value to others in a neat package.”
Just know there’s another (probably many) person out there who relates and empathizes 🫠😵💫
I appreciate this article. I'm one of those poor intelligent people who overthink things.
The thing I can't get past is the extractive and manipulative nature of sales. A pretty way of saying it is, "How can I help people today?" But that's only the surface level. The dark side of the same question is, "What emotional buttons do I push in my sales copy or video to activate the need which I can then help you with?"
We all sense the sleaziness of the latter. I certainly do, and I don't want to perpetrate it, no matter how wealthy it might make me. Is that my intellect getting in the way or just basic human decency?
If you are confident, you don't need courage. Without confidence, you have fear; when you have fear, you must be courageous.
You write, "what can I do that creates value for others? So much exists already, and so much exists for free." There are millions of musicians. What if anyone who wanted to be a musician said, so many musicians are out there; how can I make music? Then never gave it a go. If that happened, we would stop having musicians. You are unique. Tap into what makes you unique. You have unique strengths and unique combinations of strengths. You let self-doubt tell you lies. You are valuable and your perspective matters.
Hi Christine. Oh wow, I really relate to everything you said.
The way you described the feeling of trying to be purposeful while also feeling that the more you force it, the less life seems to flow — I think many people who think deeply experience this tension.
I think one of the hardest parts of seeing many sides of things is that the world often rewards clear directions and simple answers, while some of us naturally explore, question, and connect different ideas. I notice this especially online, where creativity can quickly become about formulas, numbers, and what gets attention — and sometimes we risk losing the curiosity and playfulness that made us create in the first place.
Three things come to mind:
1. Experiment instead of trying to have everything figured out.
I really like the scientific approach to life that Anne-Laure Le Cunff talks about in her book Tiny Experiments ( she has talks on Big Think, give it. a go as an experiment :) ) . The idea that we don't have to treat every decision as a final answer about who we are. We can try things, observe, learn, adjust, and continue.
2. Find the place where your curiosity can become useful.
I think community matters because when we focus too much on the online world, it is easy to replace curiosity with the pressure to perform. Sometimes the better path is to develop our craft slowly, through real people, practice, and connection — before turning it into something optimized or profitable.
3. Learning to be present while still growing.
Mindfulness has taught me that growth can become exhausting when we are always living in the next version of ourselves. Many Eastern traditions explore this balance between effort and allowing - not giving up, but learning how to move forward without constantly forcing life to become something else.
Also - being a “jack of all trades” might not always mean lacking direction. Sometimes it means seeing connections that others miss.
Thank you for expressing this so honestly and clearly. I think many people quietly carry this same tension. (that might be your strength, a lot of people might feel this but cant express it :))
Yes! Love this! Thank you so much for your comment. I have actually copied it in to my notes I loved it so much. I’m in a good place and I’m doing these three things but seeing them written down like this is so helpful.
Thank you for your reflection on where my strength might be, it’s not the first time someone has said that about me. Something to reflect on! Also ditto, because your reflections made explicit the things that I’m doing now that feel good and the shift I’ve experienced from that
Thank you so much, Christine. ❤️ That genuinely made my day. :)
I really enjoyed reading about your journey and all your little adventures. Wow... I really admire the courage it must have taken to change the path you were on. You can definitely count me as a very excited subscriber- I can't wait to read more of your stories over a morning coffee :) love your perspective on life.
I know it can probably still feel cloudy sometimes, and you might still wonder whether you're on the right path. But I would bet everything is slowly coming together and it's simply a matter of time. Following your nose ( as you are right now) is one of the best principles ;)
So thank you :). Connections like this mean more to me than a thousand subscribers.
Take care and I would be excited to meet you in person some day :)
There is a better question that everyone should ask themselves.
"If you are so smart, why haven't you unlocked and unleashed the monstrous, hidden, untapped potential of your brain, body, and soul to become a great self-taught polymath, a deep philosopher, a freakish athlete, a visionary leader, a great social activist, and insanely wealthy in life?"
People who are that smart do most of their work behind the scenes. They know that truth and complexity do not appeal to the majority--which is why they do not become visionary leaders, great social activists, or insanely wealthy.
A lot of people confuse intelligence with execution. The market doesn’t reward who knows the most, it rewards who consistently takes action, adapts, and solves real problems.
To succeed you need the grit of a hard worker and the delusion of a fool. Being smart makes up for less that 5% of what it takes. Most people don’t even try as much as those who succeed were willing to keep failing.
Interestingly, this exposes another problem. If highly skilled people struggle to get an audience, and people with an audience are not necessarily highly skilled, then the market may be rewarding distribution more than value. Skills can be built and audiences can be built, but there seems to be a structural disconnect between creating value and capturing attention.
I think this is also what stops many smart people from doing what you’re suggesting. They are often skilled at things other than content distribution, and perhaps they don’t even want to become distributors. This connects to your point about doing what you actually enjoy. Some people are highly skilled at building products, researching, engineering, teaching, or solving complex problems. Others are highly skilled at attracting attention and distributing ideas because they understood the dynamics of new media early on, or simply enjoy doing it.
In that sense, content distribution today may not be very different from sales in the corporate world: a valuable and often underappreciated skill, but not necessarily the one everyone wants to specialize in. The challenge is that, in a world where distribution is increasingly democratized, visibility and value creation are becoming separate games. The people who win tend to understand both.
One final provocation: if the market increasingly rewards distribution more than value creation, what exactly are we distributing?
Because the answer to that question determines whether we’re building a more productive economy or simply a louder one. Or, maybe, the system simply needs some time to balance its components.
Great take on the article. I struggled to pin point the tension. To me, the article should have been titled „if you want to make money online and you still don‘t, here is why“. While it‘s brilliantly written for that target group, it can‘t honestly address the multitude of ways in which people contribute, help others (directly or indirectly), and build meaning through and from their work. I like when things are made simpler, but I am wary of over-simplification and generalization, especially when it sounds prescriptive. Thanks for these nuanced thoughts and questions.
Dumb people make money on the Internet. They don't know any better. They just take action. Smart people sit back and analyze every possible thing that could go wrong.
I agree. Once we're making choices among people we don't know personally, credibility signals become incredibly important. What fascinates me is how often we start treating the signal as though it is the capability it was only meant to represent.
Tim, at times I feel I need to have half of a brain operating under corporate ways of thinking and then the other half for build assets and audience online thinking. My corporate part of the brain overcomplicates everything and my build online part has it extremely hard to focus on one thing and say “ok this is the thing I want to focus on” as working in corporate made me good at many things and solving complex problems, not simple ones. Any tips to get the build online part to stop doubting and pivoting and pick sth after a year of running experiments and just go on? Best from Sweden!🇸🇪
“Sell things tied to your existing skills. People don’t spend good money with unskilled amateurs. True professionals make the most money.”
How do you establish yourself as a “true professional”? You said doctors and lawyers have made a lot of money online, but is that because of their skills acquired in their profession? How do those translate to a big ticket offer online?
Is this where the consistent posting and follow up about a topic or area provide the credibility even with no degree?
Yes, consistent posting and following up is a part of it. This way you keep your audience engaged.
But I think you become a true professional, when you know a lot about the field and can help people solve their problems, big or small whichever ones you choose.
Online writing allows you to introduce yourself to the world and show them that you know about this field and you can solve their problems. Once you build enough credibility online, people start paying you for your expertise.
This means you need to have good knowledge and experience in the field you're working to be able to help people. But on the internet, there's space for everyone. You can start writing as you learn and start by offering free help to build a system and refine your skills more. Later, with enough social proof, you can monetize on it.
Turning down Tony to build your own life took guts, smart move. The part on ego blocking smart people from simple daily action nails it. Overthinking kills momentum every time.
Like you say, helping people is what actually moves the needle.
P.S. (Almost) everyone who makes a lot of money online has an audience.
Haven’t built one yet?
Start here:
If I Wanted to Grow 50K+ Follwers Fast, Here’s What I’d Do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVZcN8Bu0KM
The permission piece is the buried lead of this entire post.
Most high-credential people aren’t afraid of failure. They’re afraid of acting without institutional authorization. School gave them a rubric. Corporate gave them a job description. The internet gives them a blank page and a “go.”
That’s not a motivation problem. That’s a wiring problem.
Thirty-five years watching leaders in institutions taught me this: the ones who stall online aren’t lazy. They’re waiting for the system to validate them first. And while they wait, they stay in motion internally. Planning. Calculating. Refining. The internet doesn’t see any of it. It only rewards what gets published.
The deeper problem is that most credential-heavy leaders have confused knowing with helping. They believe the internet should pay them for their expertise. It won’t. It pays them for solving someone’s specific problem. That shift from “I have valuable knowledge” to “I fix your exact pain” is the identity reframe that most smart people never make.
Sign your own permission slip. Publish before you’re ready. Then ask one question every single day: who did I actually help today?
That’s the whole game.
Permission slip signed! ✍🏾
Absolutely nailed it 🙌🏼 I’m languishing in comfortable discomfort in an excellent corporate job because heck, that’s what I’m used to. I’m praying spending more time here with y’all will help me bust out!
thank you for commenting, this is actually valuable. Distilled wisdom that has substance. I knew I could count on someone in the comments, keep scholaring good scholar
And that my friends - is an AI comment 😄
Justin Welsh said a version of this: You must be willing to look stupid while building online. If you can overcome that discomfort, you're likely to grow. This is where being smart backfires: You think you're smart and don't tolerate discomfort.
I love the what you said about being willing to look stupid.
Something else I heard recently was that we also need to become comfortable putting ourselves out there and being rejected online.
I think both ideas point to the same thing. We have to become more comfortable with discomfort before we can succeed.
All variations of the same thing. Failure’s mandatory
I’m pretty sure I’m one of those smart people that gets in their own way. The problem for me is that the world doesn’t make sense. I periodically try to forget that but it gets in the way. We should be creating value, but so much work is about extraction, like the famous Fight Club quote about people working jobs they hate to buy shit they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. I know that’s a cynical view, and I know that’s not the whole story, but there is a LOT of that, and I don’t want to play any part in it.
I love that you said you ask the question of ‘who have I helped today’, and for the answer to have made you money. The value they get should be equal to or greater than the money they spent on you.
This is the question I’m getting stuck on - what can I do that creates value for others. So much exists already, and so much exists for free.
I don’t think I lack courage, I have quit more than one job because I’ve felt morally uncomfortable and taken the leap without knowing what’s next. If anything I have courage with no confidence in myself.
You can probably see the over thinking in action here 😂
I really relate to this, especially “courage with no confidence.” That says so much.
I also don’t think creating value means inventing something completely new. Sometimes the value is in helping someone understand something better, apply it to their own life, or feel less alone in it.
The fact that so much already exists does not mean your way of seeing it has no place.
Thank you for your perspective Sara, it’s something I have thought about and understand intellectually but find it hard to apply that to a livelihood in a way that feels honest.
I am a Jack of all trades, I am not the kind of person to master something. I don’t know how to turn that in to something I can build a good livelihood off, something I can offer as value to others in a neat package. In the past year I have been paid as a shepherdess, a copywriter, a waitress and a guide. Perhaps I am a commitment-phobe.
All the most interesting people I’ve ever met, when I ask them about how they got in to their line of work always say something like ‘I met someone on a bus in Mexico’ or ‘my dog ran away and the person who found him was setting up a business and we got talking’. Two genuine stories from people I spoke to while working in a coffee box.
I am torn between being purposeful (the more I try to be, the less life flows) and following my nose until something works out (which is risky and leads many to a life of poverty).
Oh my god I could have written this “I am a Jack of all trades, I am not the kind of person to master something. I don’t know how to turn that in to something I can build a good livelihood off, something I can offer as value to others in a neat package.”
Just know there’s another (probably many) person out there who relates and empathizes 🫠😵💫
I appreciate this article. I'm one of those poor intelligent people who overthink things.
The thing I can't get past is the extractive and manipulative nature of sales. A pretty way of saying it is, "How can I help people today?" But that's only the surface level. The dark side of the same question is, "What emotional buttons do I push in my sales copy or video to activate the need which I can then help you with?"
We all sense the sleaziness of the latter. I certainly do, and I don't want to perpetrate it, no matter how wealthy it might make me. Is that my intellect getting in the way or just basic human decency?
Don't worry too much. You only have to be one step in front of somebody to be able to deliver value.
You don't have to be 100 steps in front of everybody.
Don't get stuck in the trap of trying to be unique (you actually already are).
Just find something that is valuable to someone, and play around with it.
Get curious and notice, where can you help someone today?
Ask people who know you, people around you, what am I good at? What do you value interacting with me?
Play around with it.
It's okay to experiment and learn, consider that is succeeding when you're trying to move from 0-1.
Good luck, trust, pray. 🙏🫶
Look forward to what you will bring to the world ❤️
Thanks Jess ❤️
Courage has to come before confidence. If you are confident, then courage isn't necessary.
If you are confident, you don't need courage. Without confidence, you have fear; when you have fear, you must be courageous.
You write, "what can I do that creates value for others? So much exists already, and so much exists for free." There are millions of musicians. What if anyone who wanted to be a musician said, so many musicians are out there; how can I make music? Then never gave it a go. If that happened, we would stop having musicians. You are unique. Tap into what makes you unique. You have unique strengths and unique combinations of strengths. You let self-doubt tell you lies. You are valuable and your perspective matters.
Hi Christine. Oh wow, I really relate to everything you said.
The way you described the feeling of trying to be purposeful while also feeling that the more you force it, the less life seems to flow — I think many people who think deeply experience this tension.
I think one of the hardest parts of seeing many sides of things is that the world often rewards clear directions and simple answers, while some of us naturally explore, question, and connect different ideas. I notice this especially online, where creativity can quickly become about formulas, numbers, and what gets attention — and sometimes we risk losing the curiosity and playfulness that made us create in the first place.
Three things come to mind:
1. Experiment instead of trying to have everything figured out.
I really like the scientific approach to life that Anne-Laure Le Cunff talks about in her book Tiny Experiments ( she has talks on Big Think, give it. a go as an experiment :) ) . The idea that we don't have to treat every decision as a final answer about who we are. We can try things, observe, learn, adjust, and continue.
2. Find the place where your curiosity can become useful.
I think community matters because when we focus too much on the online world, it is easy to replace curiosity with the pressure to perform. Sometimes the better path is to develop our craft slowly, through real people, practice, and connection — before turning it into something optimized or profitable.
3. Learning to be present while still growing.
Mindfulness has taught me that growth can become exhausting when we are always living in the next version of ourselves. Many Eastern traditions explore this balance between effort and allowing - not giving up, but learning how to move forward without constantly forcing life to become something else.
Also - being a “jack of all trades” might not always mean lacking direction. Sometimes it means seeing connections that others miss.
Thank you for expressing this so honestly and clearly. I think many people quietly carry this same tension. (that might be your strength, a lot of people might feel this but cant express it :))
I wish you all the best !
Nicole
Yes! Love this! Thank you so much for your comment. I have actually copied it in to my notes I loved it so much. I’m in a good place and I’m doing these three things but seeing them written down like this is so helpful.
Thank you for your reflection on where my strength might be, it’s not the first time someone has said that about me. Something to reflect on! Also ditto, because your reflections made explicit the things that I’m doing now that feel good and the shift I’ve experienced from that
Thank you so much, Christine. ❤️ That genuinely made my day. :)
I really enjoyed reading about your journey and all your little adventures. Wow... I really admire the courage it must have taken to change the path you were on. You can definitely count me as a very excited subscriber- I can't wait to read more of your stories over a morning coffee :) love your perspective on life.
I know it can probably still feel cloudy sometimes, and you might still wonder whether you're on the right path. But I would bet everything is slowly coming together and it's simply a matter of time. Following your nose ( as you are right now) is one of the best principles ;)
So thank you :). Connections like this mean more to me than a thousand subscribers.
Take care and I would be excited to meet you in person some day :)
Ditto 😊
There is a better question that everyone should ask themselves.
"If you are so smart, why haven't you unlocked and unleashed the monstrous, hidden, untapped potential of your brain, body, and soul to become a great self-taught polymath, a deep philosopher, a freakish athlete, a visionary leader, a great social activist, and insanely wealthy in life?"
People who are that smart do most of their work behind the scenes. They know that truth and complexity do not appeal to the majority--which is why they do not become visionary leaders, great social activists, or insanely wealthy.
A lot of people confuse intelligence with execution. The market doesn’t reward who knows the most, it rewards who consistently takes action, adapts, and solves real problems.
Are you executing?
This right here 👆
Loveeeee
What resonated the most?
To stop being a resting genius and pay execution tax!
Be relentless!
That’s honestly up to you and I mean it.
To succeed you need the grit of a hard worker and the delusion of a fool. Being smart makes up for less that 5% of what it takes. Most people don’t even try as much as those who succeed were willing to keep failing.
Been asking myself this
Did it help?
Interestingly, this exposes another problem. If highly skilled people struggle to get an audience, and people with an audience are not necessarily highly skilled, then the market may be rewarding distribution more than value. Skills can be built and audiences can be built, but there seems to be a structural disconnect between creating value and capturing attention.
I think this is also what stops many smart people from doing what you’re suggesting. They are often skilled at things other than content distribution, and perhaps they don’t even want to become distributors. This connects to your point about doing what you actually enjoy. Some people are highly skilled at building products, researching, engineering, teaching, or solving complex problems. Others are highly skilled at attracting attention and distributing ideas because they understood the dynamics of new media early on, or simply enjoy doing it.
In that sense, content distribution today may not be very different from sales in the corporate world: a valuable and often underappreciated skill, but not necessarily the one everyone wants to specialize in. The challenge is that, in a world where distribution is increasingly democratized, visibility and value creation are becoming separate games. The people who win tend to understand both.
One final provocation: if the market increasingly rewards distribution more than value creation, what exactly are we distributing?
Because the answer to that question determines whether we’re building a more productive economy or simply a louder one. Or, maybe, the system simply needs some time to balance its components.
Great take on the article. I struggled to pin point the tension. To me, the article should have been titled „if you want to make money online and you still don‘t, here is why“. While it‘s brilliantly written for that target group, it can‘t honestly address the multitude of ways in which people contribute, help others (directly or indirectly), and build meaning through and from their work. I like when things are made simpler, but I am wary of over-simplification and generalization, especially when it sounds prescriptive. Thanks for these nuanced thoughts and questions.
This is a great response!
Dumb people make money on the Internet. They don't know any better. They just take action. Smart people sit back and analyze every possible thing that could go wrong.
All true.
But how did you get a job in banking with no degree or even highschool diploma?
I started in the call center on minimum wage and worked my way up
One thing this made me think about is how quickly we replace one measurement with another.
For a long time, degrees, credentials, and job titles were used as signals of intelligence and capability.
Increasingly it feels like online income, audience size, and business growth are becoming the new signals.
I'm not convinced either one tells the whole story.
It makes me wonder how often we mistake the measurement for the thing itself.
Yes neither of them tell the real story.
But I think in a capitalists world , you have to define/show your worth in one of these terms to make any money.
These things often act as credibility signals.
The rest of the conversation begins from there. And any sensible person won't put complete emphasis on just these.
I agree. Once we're making choices among people we don't know personally, credibility signals become incredibly important. What fascinates me is how often we start treating the signal as though it is the capability it was only meant to represent.
Yes, that makes sense!
It's not fear of failure. It's fear of a visible stumble in a place where they think the record is permanent.
Institutions remember. The internet forgets fast. Nobody tells you that when you show up.
Tim, at times I feel I need to have half of a brain operating under corporate ways of thinking and then the other half for build assets and audience online thinking. My corporate part of the brain overcomplicates everything and my build online part has it extremely hard to focus on one thing and say “ok this is the thing I want to focus on” as working in corporate made me good at many things and solving complex problems, not simple ones. Any tips to get the build online part to stop doubting and pivoting and pick sth after a year of running experiments and just go on? Best from Sweden!🇸🇪
“Sell things tied to your existing skills. People don’t spend good money with unskilled amateurs. True professionals make the most money.”
How do you establish yourself as a “true professional”? You said doctors and lawyers have made a lot of money online, but is that because of their skills acquired in their profession? How do those translate to a big ticket offer online?
Is this where the consistent posting and follow up about a topic or area provide the credibility even with no degree?
Yes, consistent posting and following up is a part of it. This way you keep your audience engaged.
But I think you become a true professional, when you know a lot about the field and can help people solve their problems, big or small whichever ones you choose.
Online writing allows you to introduce yourself to the world and show them that you know about this field and you can solve their problems. Once you build enough credibility online, people start paying you for your expertise.
This means you need to have good knowledge and experience in the field you're working to be able to help people. But on the internet, there's space for everyone. You can start writing as you learn and start by offering free help to build a system and refine your skills more. Later, with enough social proof, you can monetize on it.
I hope this makes sense 😊
Solid read.
Turning down Tony to build your own life took guts, smart move. The part on ego blocking smart people from simple daily action nails it. Overthinking kills momentum every time.
Like you say, helping people is what actually moves the needle.